Print out this cheat sheet and stick it on the freezer so you’ll know just how long you can hold on to Aunt Margaret’s family recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie. And don’t forget to stick a label on food before your freeze it so you’ll know exactly how long it’s been in there.

Recommended Freezing Times May Surprise You

Some of these suggested storage times are surprising. A baked, frosted cake, for example, should be stored for just one month. No wonder all those saved slices of wedding cake taste pretty bad when couples eat them on their one-year anniversaries!

You may also be surprised to hear that some of these foods can be frozen at all. Eggs, for example. While some sources say you can keep them for up to a year, Freezer Labels’ chart recommends just a month. And FoodSafety.gov says the whites can be frozen for a year but advises against freezing the yolks. The only reason given is that they “do not freeze well.” The key to freezing raw eggs is to remove them from their shells first.

Freezing times for meat and fish also seem to vary widely. While you could freeze a lean fish for up to six months, it’s recommended that you keep a fatty fish like salmon in the freezer for just two-three months.